Prevalence and Characteristics of Veterans with Severe Hearing Loss: A Descriptive Study.

Hearing loss is common among Veterans, and extensive hearing care resources are prioritized within the Veterans Administration (VA). Severe hearing loss poses unique communication challenges with speech understanding that may not be overcome with amplification. We analyzed data from the VA Audiometric Repository between 2005 and 2017 and the relationship between hearing loss severity with speech recognition scores.

Facial Reanimation After Intratemporal Facial Nerve Schwannoma Resection: A Systematic Review.

To systematically analyze the outcomes of reanimation techniques that have been described for patients undergoing non-fascicle sparing resection of intratemporal facial schwannomas. A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Eight hundred forty studies were screened with 22 meeting inclusion criteria comprising 266 patients.

Acceptance and Benefit of Electroacoustic Stimulation in Children.

Objective: Children with high-frequency severe-to-profound hearing loss and low-frequency residual hearing who do not derive significant benefit from hearing aids are now being considered for cochlear implantation. Previous research shows that hearing preservation is possible and may be desirable for the use of electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) in adults, but this topic remains underexplored in children. The goal of this study was to explore factors relating to hearing preservation, acceptance, and benefits of EAS for children.

Bilateral cochlear implantation after immunotherapy-related profound hearing loss: A case report.

Objectives: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are being utilized with increasing frequency and may be linked to neurologic and audiovestibular toxicities. This report aimed to describe a case of ICI-induced sensorineural hearing loss ultimately requiring bilateral cochlear implantation.

Methods: A 42-year-old female with stage IV metastatic melanoma of the perianal skin was treated with ipilimumab (blocker of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 [CTLA-4]) and nivolumab (anti-programmed cell death protein 1 [PD1]).

Slim Modiolar Electrode Placement in Candidates for Electroacoustic Stimulation.

Objectives: To determine rates of hearing preservation and performance in patients who met candidacy for electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) and were implanted with a slim modiolar electrode (CI532 or CI632).

Design: Adult patients meeting Food and Drug Administration criteria for electroacoustic stimulation (preoperative low-frequency pure-tone average [LFPTA] less than 60 dB at 125, 250, and 500 Hz and monosyllabic word scores between 10% and 60% in the ear to be implanted), who received a slim modiolar electrode were included. Main outcome measures included rates of hearing preservation, defined as a LFPTA ≤80 dB at 125, 250, and 500 Hz, as well as postoperative low-frequency pure-tone threshold shifts, consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) word scores and AzBio sentences in noise scores.

HiRes ultra series cochlear implant field recall: failure rates and early outcomes.

Objective: Evaluate rates of Advanced Bionics Ultra 3D/Ultra cochlear implant failure in the setting of a worldwide device recall and report surgical and auditory outcomes after revision.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed for adult and pediatric patients implanted with at risk devices at our center from 2016 to 2020. Device failure rates, surgical, and auditory outcomes were recorded and analyzed.

The Frailty Phenotype in Older Adults Undergoing Cochlear Implantation.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the frailty phenotype in a population of older adults and determine its association with 1) perioperative complications, 2) need for vestibular rehabilitation after surgery, and 3) early speech perception outcomes.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care hospital.

The Natural History of Primary Inner Ear Schwannomas: Outcomes of Long-Term Follow-Up.

Objective: To describe the natural history of primary inner ear schwannomas over a long follow-up period.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Cochlear Implantation Outcomes in Patients With Retrocochlear Pathology: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis.

Objective: To review the current literature regarding cochlear implantation in patients with retrocochlear pathologies and extract speech perception scores between 6 months and 1 year after surgery.

Databases Reviewed: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL via Ovid, CINAHL Complete via Ebsco, and Web of Science.

Methods: The review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Predictive Value of Transimpedance Matrix Measurements to Detect Electrode Tip Foldover.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of the transimpedance matrix (TIM) measurement to detect cochlear implant electrode tip foldover by comparing results to a "gold standard," the intraoperative plain film radiograph.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary referral hospital.

Modern Hearing Preservation Outcomes After Vestibular Schwannoma Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Background: For patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has proven effective in controlling tumor growth while hearing preservation remains a key goal.

Objective: To evaluate hearing outcomes in the modern era of cochlear dose restriction.

Methods: During the years 2013 to 2018, 353 patients underwent Gamma knife surgery for VS at our institution.

Cochlear Implants in Veterans: 10-Year Experience at a Single Referral Center.

Purpose: Severe hearing loss is particularly prevalent among Veterans. In response, the Veterans Affairs (VA) provides hearing aids and cochlear implants as part of their comprehensive hearing loss treatment. The VA's national health care system and integrated electronic health records offer a unique opportunity to examine patterns and outcomes in the management of severe hearing loss.

Modifications to Implanting the OSIA® 2 Bone Conduction Hearing Implant: How I Do it.

This "How I Do It" report describes modifications made to the OSIA bone conduction hearing implant surgery in order to reduce wound complications. Laryngoscope, 132:1850-1854, 2022.

Stimulating the Cochlear Apex Without Longer Electrodes: Preliminary Results With a New Approach.

Objective: To investigate a new surgical and signal processing technique that provides apical stimulation of the cochlea using a cochlear implant without extending the length of the electrode array.

Patients: Three adult patients who underwent cochlear implantation using this new technique.

Interventions: The patients received a cochlear implant.

Cochlear Implant Outcomes in CHARGE Syndrome: Updated Perspectives.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes of auditory implants in children with CHARGE syndrome and describe the evolution in management of hearing loss in this complex population.

Methods: A retrospective case review was performed at a tertiary referral center. Children with CHARGE syndrome who received either a cochlear implant (CI) or auditory brainstem implant (ABI) were included.

Delayed cochlear implantation in congenitally deaf children-identifying barriers for targeted interventions.

Objectives: Age of cochlear implantation (CI) is an important predictor of language development in those with congenital sensorineural hearing loss. Despite universal newborn hearing screening initiatives and the known benefits of early CI, a subset of congenitally deaf children continue to be evaluated for cochlear implants later in childhood. This study aims to identify the barriers to early cochlear implantation in these children.

Outcomes of Salvage Resection and Radiosurgery Following Failed Primary Treatment of Vestibular Schwannomas.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes following salvage microsurgery (MS) and salvage stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) after failure of primary treatment for vestibular schwannomas (VS).

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Cochlear Implantation in Adults With Single-sided Deafness: Outcomes and Device Use.

Objective: To describe our experience with adults undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) for treatment of single-sided deafness (SSD).

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Cochlear implant indications: a review of third-party payers' policies for standard and expanded indications.

As cochlear implant (CI) candidacy has expanded, commercial payers in the United States have varied in their adoption of new indications, potentially confusing providers' knowledge about appropriate patients for referral. We reviewed how third-party payers classify the medical necessity of cochlear implants for a variety of indications across the lifespan.We compared policies of the six largest commercial payers in our region, focusing on clinical scenarios for which many centers experience difficulty obtaining pre-authorization.

Force and pressure measurements in temporal bones.

Purpose: Some cochlear implant (CI) patients lose their residual hearing during surgery. Two factors that might play a role in residual hearing loss are the change in intracochlear hydraulic pressure and force on the cochlear wall during electrode insertion. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a difference in peak hydraulic pressure and peak force on the cochlear wall exists during a CI electrode insertion with different insertion techniques.

Cochlear Implantation in Sporadic Vestibular Schwannoma and Other Retrocochlear Pathology: A Case Series.

Objective: To describe outcomes with cochlear implantation (CI) for rehabilitation of hearing loss in patients with sporadic vestibular schwannomas (VS) and other retrocochlear pathologies.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Tertiary-care center.

Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Implications for Management.

Objective: To describe our institutional experience with cochlear implantation (CI) for rehabilitation of hearing loss in Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective review between 1989 and 2019.

Setting: Tertiary-care center.

Melodic interval perception with acoustic and electric hearing in bimodal and single-sided deaf cochlear implant listeners.

Two notes sounded sequentially elicit melodic intervals and contours that form the basis of melody. Many previous studies have characterized pitch perception in cochlear implant (CI) users to be poor which may be due to the limited spectro-temporal resolution and/or spectral warping with electric hearing compared to acoustic hearing (AH). Poor pitch perception in CIs has been shown to distort melodic interval perception.